Top tips for successfully introducing the new statutory changes to Health and Relationships Education (PSHE) in 2020

PSHE as we know it is changing and it has been a very long time coming.

For many years, the government, parents and teachers have all agreed that effective Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education (PSHE) is increasingly valuable in schools. Parents and carers are often the primary educator for children and young adults on many of the topics within PSHE. So, we cannot always rely on parents and carers to deliver effective PSHE education at home. So, the responsibility falls on schools.

I believe that schools are in the best position to deliver effective life skills education, and a large proportion of schools across the world already have outstanding in the areas of PSHE, SMSC, and values education. In February 2019, the Department for Education announced that Relationship Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education would become statutory subjects in September 2020.

We have put together eight top tips to help schools successfully implement these new statutory changes.

Tip 1 – Make sure you have downloaded and read the Department for Education’s (DFE) document – ‘Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education’ (Last updated 25 July 2019)

This key document replaces the Sex and Relationships Education guidance from 2000 and covers the new statutory curriculum for both primary and secondary schools. This document will be reviewed every three years from the date of implementation, which is September 2020.

The key pages for your use are:

1. Page 11 – Developing policy

2. Page 12 – Religion and belief, including teaching in schools with a religious character

3. Page 15 – Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities

4. Page 17 – Right to withdraw

5. Page 20 – Learning outcomes for Relationships Education

6. Page 32 – Learning outcomes for Health Education

Tip 2 – Know your timelines for introduction

September 2020 is the date for implementation. The DfE has made it clear in the guidance that schools should become early adopters and begin to use and familiarise themselves with the new statutory elements from September 2019. Schools are free to determine how to deliver the content set out in the guidance as part of their offer of a broad and balanced curriculum. It is likely that many schools would have already been teaching many of these key areas effectively. PSHE and curriculum leads are encouraged to cross reference what they currently deliver with the new framework to identify any missing areas.

Tip 3 – The right to withdraw from education

The new guidance states that parents or carers DO NOT have the right to withdraw their child from Relationship Education or Health Education. These areas cover puberty, menstruation and being safe in a relationship. Primary schools do not have to teach sex education. However, if your school decides to cover these areas, due to local need, you must detail this within your school’s policy. If a primary school does decide to cover sex education, outside of the new guidance, parents will retain a right to withdraw.

Tip 4 – Prepare your policy

All schools must have a written policy in place for Relationships Education. Schools must involve parents in developing and renewing this policy, and the involvement of pupils and governors is also encouraged. The guidance supports development of a policy from page 11 and includes the key elements: religion and belief, use of materials, equality, SEND, LGBT and the role of governance. This policy must:

Be up to date
Be available to parents and others free of charge to anyone who requests it
Be published on the school’s website
Include information to clarify why parents DO NOT have a right to withdraw their child from the mandatory subjects of Relationships Education and Health Education
Outline the subject content
Define Relationships Education
Describe how the subject is monitored and evaluated

Tip 5 - Working with and communicating with parents

Areas of this curriculum can be contentious. In the UK, over the past few months, we have seen a rise in the interest of the media in this new curriculum and there has been a significant amount of misreporting and scaremongering. The Panorama programme, which aired on the BBC in July tried to address these issues:

When delving further into the guidance, it is very clear what should be addressed in this area. We have found that when this is communicated sensitively with parents, and where parents are involved in developing policy, there is a much-reduced likelihood of conflict. This is what the guidance says:

By the end of Primary School, pupils should know:

Families, either in school or in the wider world, sometimes look different from their family, but they should respect those differences and know that their families are also characterised by love and care
Marriage represents a formal and legally recognised commitment of two people to each other, which is intended to be lifelong (The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 extended marriage to same sex couples in England and Wales.)

Tip 6 – Managing difficult questions

A teacher’s worst nightmare: there you are teaching Relationships Education on a Tuesday afternoon at 2pm, a question arises pertaining to sex or sexuality, which goes way beyond the bounds of the session - what do you do?

We know that if children’s questions remain unanswered, they may turn to a more unreliable source of information, such as the internet or a friend. The school’s policy should clearly outline how the school and the adults within it should answer difficult questions.

Tip 7 – Finding time in the curriculum

The ongoing challenge of finding time for everything within the Primary Curriculum! Don’t despair, this guidance includes ideas about how the areas for delivery can be covered. You can find these on page 39 of the guidance and more here on the government website.

Tip 8 – What next?

So, you now know a lot more about your obligations for the new statutory curriculum and can navigate the key document to find all the elements you need, right? Well maybe not quite. What about resources? What about support? Thankfully, many organisations have been working in this field for a very long time and are in a great position to support you as you take on this new venture in school.

As an example, 1decision have created a great curriculum mapping document which is a curriculum leader’s dream. Simply decide which year groups will teach which areas and you are ‘2020 ready’.

1decision can support your school in implementing these changes. They also provide a full range of PSHE materials which can be accessed in a range of ways and they are all quality assured by the PSHE association. These materials are constantly evolving and are available to support your children, school and the wider community. You can find out more at www.1decision.co.uk

The Author:

Sarah Stevens has worked in education for the past 14 years, with nine of these years being in primary headship. She is currently working as an education consultant for 1decision Ltd, supporting schools with the introduction of the new Relationship Education and Health Education statutory framework, which is due to be implemented September 2020.

In addition, Sarah also supports colleagues undertaking the NPQML, SL and H qualifications and assesses for these important leadership qualifications. Sarah has been a head teacher in two schools in the UK. One, an outstanding school, leading in Values Education and Early years provision. The second, a school which required rapid improvement. Under Sarah’s leadership this was achieved within 12 months with Ofsted rating the school as good and SIAMS as outstanding.

Sarah’s main passion is the use of animals in supporting disabilities. In particular, the use of reading dogs in school. She has also completed action research into the use of dogs to support the inclusion of those with autism in mainstream settings.